Photography Tips for Your Best Tulip Festival Spring Photos

Our 2nd Annual Tulip Festival is April 16th to April 30th, which is coming up quickly! With over 500,000 tulips over four acres of land, our Tulip Festival is the perfect photography opportunity in Ohio for family photos, engagement photos, and to brush up on your photography skills.

We want you to be equipped to take your best photos. Here are some photography tips so that you get great spring pictures.

General Photography Tips

Whatever type of photos you are taking at our Ohio spring Tulip Festival, make sure to keep the following elements in mind.

Make Use of an Overcast Day

Ohio in spring can have overcast days. But that’s no reason to be bummed! Rather, cloudy days soften sunlight and eliminate harsh bright spots. This allows for nice, even exposure and is perfect for getting close-ups on our Ohio tulips or for taking pictures of family and friends at our Tulip Festival.

Don’t Be Afraid to Play

Part of photography is having fun! So, make sure to have fun at our family-friendly event. Whether you have a fancy camera or just your phone, you can still capture memories to last a lifetime.

Bring a Tripod

A tripod gives your camera stability and allows you to switch between taking flower close-ups to getting photos with the family. You could also bring a selfie stick if you like that photo perspective.

Photography Tips for Flower Close-ups

With fields and fields of tulips at Timbuk Farms, you definitely want to get a few close-up pictures of our Ohio-grown flowers. Here are some tips to help you get your best close-up flower pictures.

Use the Morning to Avoid Wind

Days tend to get windy during the afternoons. So, if you want close-up photos of flowers, then take your photos in the morning.

This can actually work out perfectly for our family-friendly spring festival, because you can take photos of the flowers and of the kids in the morning when the winds are calm, and then check out our food trucks, live music, and fun activities during the afternoon.

Avoid Background Clutter

If you’re doing a close-up of a flower, then the background should be fairly uniform so as not to distract from your main subject.

Shoot with the Sun Behind the Flower

When the sun is behind the tulips, then the tulips will look backlit and have a translucent glow. These kinds of shots can capture a feeling of a warm and bright spring in Ohio.

Try Different Perspectives

Don’t be afraid to try capturing different parts of a flower from different angles. Try taking pictures of the top of the flower, focus on the flower’s stamen, capture the petals’ edges, and try shooting from below the flower. Get as creative as you want!

Photography Tips for Family Photos

Our tulip fields are perfect for family photos for Christmas cards and personalized wall art. You’ll have the beautiful outdoors, a family-friendly atmosphere, and our colorful tulips to bring bright pops of color to your family portrait.

Avoid Midday Sun

The midday sun can be harsh lighting and cast shadows on faces. Plus, the bright sun often makes people squint in photos.

Instead, try taking your family photo during the golden hour or in the morning before the kids get dirty and while they’re still full from breakfast. Morning photo sessions will also take off the pressure for your kids to stay clean all day.

Wear Coordinating Outfits

Rather than trying to wear matching outfits (which can be difficult for large families), try wearing coordinating outfits. For example, your family could wear different blue shirts and pants with various white accents.

You may want to stay away from bright colors since you’ll have bright-colored tulips in your background and you don’t want to clash.

Get Candid Shots

After you get your posed family portrait, let your kids run and be kids! These moments make for great photos that are fun and dynamic.

Take pictures of your kids and family members playing together at our bobsled hill or playground. Get shots of your kids petting goats at our goat pen or picking tulips at our U-Pick tulip area. These are candid, fun moments you’ll want to remember.

Photography Tips for Engagement Photos

Some couples opt to take their own engagement pictures. Luckily, our tulip fields are the perfect place in Ohio to have your engagement photo shoot.

Match Your Wedding Colors

Find the tulips in our field that match your wedding colors. You’ll have an instant and impressive background that connects with your wedding. You can then use these pictures to create beautiful wedding invitations or for your wedding website photos.

Use a Prop

Props can add interest to engagement photos, and you can make your prop be specific to you and your betrothed for an extra special touch. 

You can also have your props be flowers! Afterall, you will be at one of Ohio’s premier flower farms. Consider taking photos at our U-Pick tulip area. Nothing says “love” like flowers.

Take Your Spring Photos at Timbuk Farms

Our Tulip Festival is the perfect location for spring pictures in Ohio. If you do take photos, please tag us on social media so that we can see them!

While you’re here, make sure to check out our numerous activities, food options, live music times, and newly-opened garden center with our spring flower specials.

If you choose to use a professional photographer instead of doing DIY photography, then check out our photography policy.

Get your tickets to Ohio's best Tulip Festival now by clicking here. We can’t wait to see you!